1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to an improved interactive electronic prize verification and display system and method for use in conducting consumer promotions and more particularly relates to such a system and method wherein a prize code printed on a concealed portion of a consumer article, such as a paper cup, is entered into the interactive electronic prize verification and display system by a consumer to determine if the article entitles the consumer to a prize.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A variety of consumer promotion programs wherein a prize indicating indicia is placed on a consumer product have been used in the past. Of primary importance in conducting such programs is the enjoyment experienced by a consumer of the product, thus encouraging the consumer to purchase additional products. Typically, such consumer promotions include an indicia, or code, imprinted on a consumer product that indicates a prize won by the consumer. In such cases, in addition to being inexpensive and easy to manufacture, it is also important that the indicia be either obscured or not readily decipherable as a winning code, as well as tamper resistant.
Otherwise, fraud can occur wherein the winning products are removed prior to distribution to a consumer. Furthermore, an electronic or other apparatus has been used in combination with the indicia to increase the degree of interactivity with the consumer, thus heightening the excitement and enjoyment of the consumer. Where such an apparatus is used, the ability to easily manufacture and maintain such apparatus is critical.
Prior consumer promotions typically involved the separate manufacture of a peelable label to be affixed at a later time to the consumer product or the forming of a layer of material on the product which is subsequently scratched off by the consumer. In the former, the peelable label is removed by the consumer to reveal whether a prize has been won, while in the latter, the consumer scratches the layer of material from the product to uncover a prize. Such labels and scratch layers provide security by obscuring the winning indicia and are generally tamper resistant in that they reveal attempts to surreptitiously obtain the indicia. Such labels and scratch layers, however, are expensive to manufacture and present further difficulties in the manufacture of the associated consumer product to which the label or scratch layer is to be attached. Furthermore, such labels do not provide significant consumer interaction, and thus are less desirable then other promotions having greater interaction with the consumer.
To overcome the expense and difficulties associated with the manufacture of peelable layers and scratch coatings, consumer products have been designed wherein the prize indicating indicia is concealed in a tamper resistant manner within a natural form of the consumer product. For example, U.S. Pat. 4,518,639 to Phillips discloses a game cup having game information printed inside the rolled lip of the cup. The cup includes a snap-out section that is used to unroll the lip of the cup to reveal the printed game information. While concealing the game information inside the rolled lip, the device and method of Phillips simply provides the prize on the consumer product without coding the prize information to prevent easy selection and removal of the winning cups prior to consumer distribution. In order for a consumer promotion utilizing games or prizes to be effective, precautionary measures should be taken to ensure that a product having a winning code is not readily identifiable. In addition, as with peelable labels and scratch coatings, this method does not provide significant consumer interaction, and thus is less desirable then other promotions having greater interaction with the consumer.
U.S. Pat. 4,573,954 to Berger et al. discloses an on-the-cup (OTC) promotion in which a machine printed and machine readable code is placed on each cup. The machine readable code contains promotional prize information and is scanned and interpreted by a cup scanner to determine if the cup is a prize winner. Thus, while Berger et al. provides security (in the form of a machine readable code that is not readily decipherable to the naked eye) and increased consumer interaction, a complex scanning mechanism is required to be placed at a plurality of point-of-sale locations in order to interpret the machine readable codes. The scanning mechanism includes a scanning head having a code illuminating light and a photodetector that is driven by a motor and worm screw mechanism to scan the machine readable code. Thus, the costs associated with manufacturing and maintaining such a complex apparatus in connection with the consumer promotion is undesirable.
In view of the above, it is evident that a system and method is needed for conducting consumer promotions that provides for inexpensive and easy fabrication of the consumer product that still prevents fraud in the promotion, and that provides for increased user interaction, and thus enjoyment, on the part of a consumer of that product without a complex apparatus that is both expensive to manufacture and maintain. More specifically, a need exists for an electronic prize verification and display apparatus and method in which a code concealed on a consumer product in a tamper resistant manner can be verified as a winning or losing code through the use of an inexpensive and easily maintained apparatus that provides for heightened user interaction and enjoyment.